The Summit is a Women's Hiking and Backpacking Conference designed to bring experienced outdoors women, novices, and armchair dreamers together to celebrate the trails and our place on them. On July 13-15, 2018, The Summit took place at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Stay tuned here for more information on the next Summit, and sign up for our mailing list
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A message from Anna

On a cold February day in 2011, I sat indoors and dreamed about hiking and backpacking. I thought of warmer days, sunny skies and the laughter of women ringing out over the trail. And I dreamed of meeting other like-minded women from around the country. Coming together to share our hiking dreams and outdoor visions. It was at that moment that I realized that there was no avenue for such a thing. There was nothing out there to bring women together from all over the country, to share in our common love of the outdoors. I knew that what we needed was a hiking and backpacking conference for women of all ages. A place to learn, share and grow. At that moment, The Summit was born.
I had zero experience in hosting conferences, planning big events, finding sponsors or advertising! However, my mother always taught me that it was just as easy to dream big as it is to dream small, so I didn't let such things stop me. I shared my dream with some close friends and along with a group of intrepid Trail Dames, started planning. Four months later, we gathered with 60 other women in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Joined by 13 clinicians, key note speakers, vendors, sponsors and award winners we proceeded to do exactly what we set out to do—celebrate women in the outdoors.
For three days we laughed, learned and dreamed. And made some wonderful friends along the way. When we were done, we knew that something very special had been created and that we owed it to the women of the hiking community to further this project. I hope that you will join us for our next Summit in 2018! I promise you an experience in learning, laughter and life that you will treasure for years to come.

-Anna Huthmaker, aka Mud Butt
Founder and President of the Trail Dames and the Summit

Announcing our Keynote Speaker for the 2018 Summit...Carla Robertson, founder of Living Wild and Precious, and Wild and White Blazing.

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The Trail Dames Charitable Foundation is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and gifts to the Foundation are tax-deductible under Section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) of the Code. IRS regulations require that you retain a written acknowledgement from the Foundation to support your claim of a tax deduction. A receipt of your gift will be mailed to you shortly. The Foundation confirms that you received no goods or services in return for your gift.